The Ugly Sweater Shenanigan
by kneekole
Summary: If you had asked the Strider brothers who had broken first and closed the distance between their lips, they wouldn't be able to tell you. But honestly they hoped you would never ask, for simplicities sake.


**The Ugly Sweater Shenanigan**

* * *

It was probably one of the most unappealing, obnoxious and just all around god awful sweaters ever made in the existence of ironic sweaters. It was a dark grey material that had been tortured and butchered beyond recognition with bright pink and vibrant blue attempts at cross hatching. To make matters worse the knit collar and cuff were accidentally made too long making the sweater doomed to begin with.

Hell, the only reason Bro had kept the stupid sweater was because it single handedly could have been the ugliest sweater on the little blue planet called earth. But even though the abomination was super cool in an ironic way, that didn't make the sweater any more bearable to wear and thus is was lost under the pile of outrageously cool albeit useless things in Bro's closet.

That was why Bro had been so taken back when he strutted home late one night to find Dave nestled lazily on the couch wearing the sweater and _only_ the sweater. He had kept his composure like the chill motherfucker he was and instead of losing his cool hissed, "Are you wearing my sweater?"

Dave didn't even humor his brother with a response and instead grunted, his bored stare not leaving the infomercial on the television screen.

But Bro was not about to be outcooled and ignored by his little brother, after all he had made that kid into everything he was today. "I said is that _my_ sweater you little fuck?" Bro asked, a growl forming in the back of his throat as he reared the back of the couch.

"Yeah, whats your deal?" Dave said momentary riping his attention from the magic bullet commercial long enough to shoot a glare at his older brother and guardian figure. The two Striders stared each other down, seemingly communicating things of epic import through flickering glances.

"You give enough fucks to explain why your wearing that ugly piece of shit?" Bro asked, relaxing enough that his shoulders weren't hunched together. He didn't really give a fuck if Dave was wearing that horrific sweater or the fact that his brother had snooped his dirty paws through his bedroom - but Bro had to maintain his status quo of being a badass instigator.

The television lights flickered and changed as Dave channel surfed, alternating between some animated samurai movie and a provocative rap video. "I spilt some apple juice on my favorite shirt and the laundry machine is still gone to shit."

"I thought I fixed that," Bro mused to himself, remembering how he and Dave had tried to wash all of their fancy swords and ninja stars with less then ideal results. He had kicked the hunk of metal and then got distracted by ordering a pizza because Striders couldn't be bothered with mundane things like laundry for fucks sake.

"That doesn't explain why your not wearing any pants," Bro pointed out, one thick eyebrow raising over the top of his shades with the question.

Dave chuckled slightly, losing his disposition. "I thought it would be ironic," He admitted, any facade of being cool lost in his childish antics. The younger Strider squirmed in his seat, trying to pull the baggy sweater down to cover his expanse of jangly pale limbs. The gesture was in vain as his bruised and battered knees still poked out from under the woolen mess.

"Fair enough, it does look pretty funny," Bro said, the corner of his lips turning up just slightly in amusement. He had to admit the kid looked hilarious all knees and elbows swallowed up in the corny sweater.

Dave smiled in return, relishing in his Brothers approval. He looked slightly relieved under the thick shield of his shades as he jumped up from the couch to look himself over once. "I do look crazy ridiculous," he laughed stretching his arms out wide and twirling so that the huge sweater bellowed out around him. Dave stumbled forward tripping over the coffee table with enough gusto to lose his shades and knock his ass to the ground in one clumsy sweep.

Bro gulped the lump in his throat as Dave looked up at him through his blond eyelashes, his red eyes raw and bright. Bro narrowed his eyes, fighting off the trance Dave seemed to have placed upon him."Idiot," he grumbled halfheartedly offering a gloved hand to help hoist his younger brother back up onto solid ground.

The youngest Strider swayed clumsily back on to two feet, resting his weight on his brothers side to steady himself and find his balance. "You try maneuvering yourself in this trick, it's like a fucking death trap," Dave huffed, crossing his arms across his pastel coloured chest. He didn't like being made a fool of by a cheap garment of clothing, especially in front of one the only people Dave gave a rats ass about.

"I wouldn't be caught dead in that," Bro snorted gently removing his hand from Dave's elbow, which was where he had caught him only moments ago. It felt weird being this close to his brother, what with their mind games and stony ice facades that they hid behind they never really hung out without the pretense of being cool douche bags and whatnot.

Apparently tonight was a different story all together because suddenly Dave was pulling some dumb chick flick bullshit out on Bro. "You could pull it off, you'd look good in anything," Dave said in a nonchalant throw away kind of way, as if he hadn't really meant to trigger something that was bound to happen.

But it made the tips of Bro's ears warm as he willed his face not to blush at the snide remark. Bro was used to all sorts of flattery - no man, women or self respecting person could resist his undeniable charm, quick wit and boyish good looks. But this was the first time Dave had made it apparent that maybe he wasn't as obvious to the older Strider's suffocating amount of charisma like he had previously let on.

Bro guessed he couldn't exactly blame the kid, and briefly wondered if he could challenge and teach the kid a thing or two from this whole ordeal, "What the hell does that mean?" he teased lightly.

Dave was never one to have complete control over his emotions, not when it came to keeping them off his stoic face. His cheeks reddened streaking across the bridge of his freckled nose in apparent embarrassment. "The sweater suits you or whatever."

This was the first time Bro had caught the kid frazzled and acting all cute in a long time, and to be frank it was playing dirty tricks up in his head. It never really occurred to him that his little brother had grown up right before his eyes. But Dave had sprouted up and now almost rivaled Bros own height and his lanky appendages had broadened with a tiny amount of muscle. It was biznasty crazy thinking about his baby brother this way, but it simply couldn't be helped at this point - Dave was an attractive young man and that was all that could be said about the matter.

"I guess we'll have to see then," Bro said his voice dipping past sultry and into some snarky taste of the fuckery to come. He stepped forward crossing the line that defined when personal space was being breached and tugged on the fabric of the sweater to pull Dave flush against him. Dave didn't protest in the slightest, even going as far as keeping his mouth shut as Bro smirked wolfishly above him.

"I guess so," Dave said his crimson eyes radioactive as he held Bros eyes, daring him to continue with this little game. The air between the two brothers was charged and heavy as if a bomb fuse ran between the two. It threatened to blow up what little grasp the Striders had on the situation, threatened to bring on the end of the world as they knew it.

"Damn right, but the only way we can test that theory is if you take the fugly thing of," Bro said, lowering his pointed shades so that he could get a proper look at how his younger brother visibly shook at the demand. He pulled the sweater up, hitching it up and over Dave's head without even bunching up the material.

The youngest Strider didn't resist and in fact eagerly raised his arms above his head to make slipping the sweater off even faster. He shivered lightly, but weather it was from the cool draft in the room or the fact that he was almost completely naked on account of his brothers shenanigans, he couldn't tell.

It was hard for Dave to stand utterly still, clad in his sweet bro and hella jeff boxers just waiting to take Bro's lead on whatever the heck it was they thought they were doing. He bit his lip because it was all he could do to keep from trembling before Bro as his eyes roamed up and down Dave shamelessly.

"So are you going to try the sweater on already or what?" Dave asked, his voice tiny to keep from stuttering.

"Nah, I think I want to try something else first," Bro said using his right hand to hold Daves' chin between his calloused fingers tilting it upwards just slightly.

* * *

If you had asked the Strider brothers who had broken first and closed the distance between their lips, sealing their fate forever, they wouldn't be able to tell you. But honestly they hoped you would never ask, for simplicity sake. In fact they hoped no one would ask, because if anyone would be asking it would be some stuck up snooty Child Protective Services worker before ripping Dave away from the only family he knew, or a fellow inmate asking how Bro had ended up in the slammer anyways. The Striders didn't want either of these options, so to hell with anyone who judged them.

Dave could only describe how their lips brushed and made fleeting contact as curious, a sweet touch even. But what happened directly after as a result of said lingering kiss was a volcano meeting a tornado, like that famous rapper chick had once said. Bro had dipped forward so vigorously that their teeth clanked together in the tangle of tongue clashing for dominance. Bro was impressed by Dave's disposition, with someone with such an obvious lack of talent in this sort of situation his eagerness to learn and explore made up for his inexperience. Dave gasped mid kiss when Bro began nibbling playfully on his bottom lip, and he retaliated by hovering his arms up and snaking them around Bro's neck forcing him closer.

When the two finally seized kissing long enough to remember that breathing and oxygen were vital components in sustaining life both brothers were panting and blushing like school girls. Dave rested his forehead against Bros. He was irritated by the fact that he had to lean up on his tippy toes to accomplish this feat, "What the fuck?" he exhaled breathlessly into the minuscule space where the air between their lips mingled.

"Less talking," Bro growled back, his hot breath sweeping across his brothers face. Not only because if his mouth was preoccupied talking it couldn't be put to use making out with Dave, but talking also lead Bro to thinking. And right this very second Bro didn't want to think, think of consequences, think of the regret a mistake like this could bring up, think of how screwed up Dave could turn out because of something as simple as a kiss.

"Yeah, okay," Dave agreed throwing Bro the best shit eating grin he could muster. It wasn't long before Bro snatched that look on his face off with another fervent kiss. Dave sighed into the kiss, his fingers flexing into the stray blond hairs that curled along the nape of Bro's neck.

Minutes passed blurring where one kiss had started and the next kissed had sloppily turned into five more. It was becoming easier for Dave to keep up with his Bro's moves, to fall into a pattern where he didn't have to furrow his eyebrows in confusion. It wasn't until Bro had pushed Dave back by the shoulders against the nearest wall that Dave came out of his kissing trance and back to reality.

The youngest strider squeaked when he noticed that he was being pinned against the wall by the unmovable force that was Bro Strider. He felt more vulnerable then he had ever felt before with his wrists being held captive above his head, in the cage like vice that were Bro's biker gloves.

"Your not half bad at this," Bro complimented although his voice was back to it's monotone self.

If for no other reason Dave would continue doing what he could to impress his brother, compliments between the Striders were far and few. "You're not awful either," Dave said, licking his dry and swollen lips absentmindedly.

But the gesture seemed to set Bro off because suddenly he released his grip on Daves wrists and with his free hand knotted his fingers in Daves long locks, craning the younger Striders head backwards to bare the smooth skin of the neck. Without warning Bro was leaning forward and littering Daves neck with lopsided hickeys and light teeth marks.

Reflexively Dave lolled his head to one side giving his brother easier access, sucking in a shaky breath as Bro bit down on the junction between his collar bone and neck. The older Strider took this moment to push the limits once again, bringing his knee up and settling it in between Daves legs. Dave notable stiffened, trying his damn hardest not to show how much this action was affecting him. But Bro's smirk only grew sending his younger brothers heart in a uproar, as he used his knee to knead his brother through his pants.

As good as it felt Dave couldn't shake the feeling that he was being taking advantage of, no - that wasn't the case, he wanted this just as badly as Bro did. Dave just didn't want to be the one wearing the dress in the relationship. "Wait ah-" Dave gasped fidgeting against the wall in a feeble attempt to turn the tables over in his favour.

Bro's mouth hovered beside Daves ear, his laboured breathing washing over the shell as he spoke, "What is it now?"

"It's not fair that I'm basically in my birthday suit are your still fully clothed," Dave mumbled clumsily using his trembling hands to pull at Bro's white muscle shirt, desperate for any escape that had him in the palm of his brothers hand. Dave wanted to have Bro wrapped around his talented little fingers, and not the other way around.

Annoyed at how long it was taking Bro crossed his arms and began to pull his shirt off from the hem upwards, he made a show of it even going as far as smirking smugly when the garment had finally been discarded to the floor. Dave took a tentative second to peek at his brothers shirtless form entranced to say the most, impressed to say the least. Brothers body had the hard work of training written out for the world to admire, scars of every shape and size abolished the already hard and strong muscle that strained beneath the tan skin.

"Like what you see?" Bro teased striking a pose with his arms on either side of his neck to show off his build.

Dave refrained from doing a double take at the scene before him, preoccupied with the problem between with legs which was only making his pants tighter and evermore uncomfortable. He didn't think Bro had noticed his little problem and Dave would crawl into the nearest corner and die before he admitted how turned on he was getting from his own brother. He shuddered at the very thought, the truth cut deep.

"Not really, 's sight for fucking sore eyes," Dave bluffed shimming as far away up the wall from Bro's invading knee as he could. But the position Bro had him caught in was unpenetrable and to no avail could Dave escape. The friction of trying to get away wasn't doing Dave any help either so he gave up trying to evade and focused his feeble energy into invade mode.

"But I haven't seen everything yet so I wouldn't know," Dave slurred attempting (attempting being the key word) to sound seductive or just an ounce of alluring as his tiny hands came full force against Bro's metal belt buckle. He tugged and through his nervousness managed to dismantle the buckle and pull the belt out from their respective loops.

"Fair enough, kid," Bro chuckled, which was a sound Dave instantly decided that he liked to some degree. To Dave's instant relief Bro backed away from the wall, letting Daves hands fall free to his sides and his legs buckle and almost give out of him. Dave braced himself against the wall as Bro took a studious step backwards letting his baggy pants fall down and pool around his ankles in the process.

Dave blinked once, then twice as Bro kicked away the seemingly useless piece of clothing.

* * *

Much to Dave's relief, or dismay, depending on how you looked at it, Bro had only discarded his jeans and still sported the loose fitting plaid boxers underneath. Dave would have liked for those to get lost in the wreckage of clothing on the floor already, that way the sizable bulge beneath would finally make itself known instead of sitting all smug taunting the entire apartment.

Dave pushed off the wall staggering forward past Bro and towards the bedrooms. He didn't have the faintest clue what he was trying to achieve by this, but he couldn't stand one more second pathetically climbing up the wall by his brothers antics, at least not tonight. Dave proceeded to waddle (for lack of a better word) towards the bedrooms the tent in his boxers straining on his ability to walk away. "Are you coming or what?" He asked with a little more attitude then maybe necessary.

Bro Strider did not need to be asked twice, hell being asked anything once was pushing his already too short fuse. He thought he should vocalize this point as he calmly made his way behind his little brother towards his own closed bedroom door, "I don't need be asked twice."

"So," Dave drawled out, rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet, "My room or yours?" he gritted out the last sentence, his face flushing a whole new color of red with each word.

"Mine," Bro snickered, pushing past his brother and throwing his room door open.

The younger Strider nodded in agreement, he had only been in Bro's room a handful of times, and he wouldn't be opposed to spending an entire night in the place. Bro's room had been surprisingly disappointing compared to the fantasies and wild layouts Dave had always attached when thinking of the unspeakable and untangle place that was Bro's bedroom. But in fact the room was neat and cozy, with a king sized bed with simple black sheets, a flat screen TV and futon on one side, and a drawer with various weapons and clothing spilling out.

It was an ordinary and normal safe haven, a slice of mundane in their normally biznasty lives. Dave felt he could breathe easier inside the soft red room, the Texas skyline streaking across the high window in the room. The sun was setting which casted a sharp red glow across the room and the usually stifling heat was cooling in the room.

Bro was the first to flop out on the bed, sitting with his legs generously spread open, "C'mere you," He cooed, opening his arms wide as an open invitation.

Dave inhaled a deep breath of air through his nose and balled his hands into tight fists by his side before finding a small flicker of courage and hope push him forwards. Dace focused on taking one step after the other, until soon he found himself on top of the silken sheets of Bros bed.

It didn't take long for the Striders to rearrange themselves into a position that worked. Bro wrapped his strong arms around Dave, folding him into the nook in between his legs so that Dave's back was pressed against his chest. Dave shivered in the embrace, the heat from Bro's front spreading up along his spine and straight into another area. Although he would rather be dead then admit it, he could have sat theere in his Bro's lap until the sun came up again. His wish was somewhat granted as the Strider brothers sat for a long time in complete silence, just feeling and listening to one another breath so close.

"Dave," Bro broke the silence, startling his younger brother into alertness. "I'm going to ask you something now," he said straighting up his position so that Dave could feel how hard he was behind him.

"Mmm?" Dave half answered half hummed through the pleasure.

There was a long pause where Bro's large rough hands trailed down Daves sides coming to rest on either side of his younger brothers hips. He palmed at the smooth flesh, digging his fingers into the skin just for the hell of it. "Dave Strider?" Bro purred into Daves ear, rolling his hips up to grind against his brothers bottom.

"Fuck, what?" Dave moaned squeezing his eyes shut and throwing his head back. For a seventeen year old boy in high school his sexual experience list was pitifully short and nothing special to look at. So feeling Bro so aroused behind him, with his own arousal being sadly ignored, things were spiralling out of hand fast. Dave wondered idly how long he would last against a pro like Bro Strider.

"I want you to touch yourself."

Dave doubled over at the outstanding request, jerking forwards like a bat out of hell. Bro was always asking Dave to do ridiculous things - jump backyards off this and slice these three targets, clean the toliet while I'm out, and now the newest addition to crazy one liners: touch yourself. Dave nibbled on his lip, wearing the bottom lip down until he tasted metalic blood against his tongue, but even then he didn't stop. He needed a distraction from the task at hand, relieve himself at bros command or suffer from his own expanse.

To beat bro or to not beat bro, that was the question.

The answer was unanimous, "Shit," Dave hissed sliding an eager hand down under his waist band to desperately grab himself. He had become painfully hard, and any dignity Dave had was quickly swan dived out the motherfucking window the second the opportunity came to ease such burden.

"Good boy," Bro said, his voice neither viscous or condescending, it was more.. husky.

Dave strained backwards into Bro's hard abdomen so that he could comfortably rest his head backwards while at the same time hide his blushing face into Bro's neck. With the issue of how to hide stupid blushing and bumbling expressions out of the way, Dave felt his leeway expand with every quick stroke and pull of his right hand. Bro didn't complain about the position, in fact unwittingly on the younger Striders decision he had the perfect view and could easily hear the low whimpers and moans that Dave was obviously failing on keeping on the down low.

Bro watched the scene unfold around him, unable to look away like a freight train flying off the rails. He busied himself with rubbing curt circles in Dave's angular hip bones, not hard enough to bruise but enough that he could really sink his fingers into the skin and enjoy it. Bro dipped his chin lower so that he could just manage to breath into Daves ear and coo absurdities like, "That's it," or "Just a little more kid."

The younger Strider was never one to disappoint as such he jerked himself at a dizzying pace, bucking his hips out of habit only to brush back against Bro or push further forward into his hand. Dave knew he wasn't going to last much longer, it was too hot, way too hot and Bro was too close but not nearly close enough. Dave quickened his pace, a choked whine escaping his lips as he did so but he needed to look at his older brother.

"Dave," Bro rasped out, his voice low and wrecked from arousal, "Let go for me."

And Dave Strider was a goner, arching backwards as he came hard and fast into his own hand, the words "Bro!" not even fully dropped from his lips as he finished. He panted and sagged backwards, his eyes fluttering open from where he had screwed them shut when he came. His ragged breath was stuck in his throat and his heart was djing some new tune, beating erratically out of time. Bro was staring down at him with a fucking smile on his face - not a predatory smirk, or the classic shit eating grin, but an honest to gog genuine smile.

Smiles looked good on Bro Striders face and even while fucked out Dave took his chance by kissing the rare smile right off of his brothers face.

* * *

They didn't cuddle, no - Bro Strider wasn't capable of letting another person get tangled so close to him with so many pointless expectations attached to the embrace. Hell, Bro couldn't remember the last time he hadn't hauled ass and ditched a girl directly after they had finished fooling around - which was the only reason he had stuck around in the first place.

So no, the Striders were not in any sense cuddling nor were they acknowledging the fact that they had fucked up and crossed a line. Since they were doing neither of these things they just lay side by side as close as they dared without actually touching one another. Dave lay curled up on his side, his red rimmed eyes stealing curt glances at Bros face, which was slightly obscured by the arm he flung over his eyes in a feeble attempt to find sleep. Bro wasn't fooling anyone though, sleep was never an easy task for him, and now it was downright impossible with Dave tucked into _his_ bed.

"That face, the one you made earlier," Dave whispered, his voice the only sound in the otherwise silent room. There was a hesitation, a loaded pause where neither of the brothers stirred, preoccupied and lost in their own thoughts before Dave spoke again. "The only other time I ever saw you smile was after the first time I saw you cry."

It had been the scariest moment of Dave's short lived life. He had come home from school one day to find Bro standing in the middle of the living room, his shades nowhere to be seen, his toxic orange eyes brimming with tears. Dave didn't know what to do with himself, he never in a hundred years thought he would have to deal with a situation like that. Bro had given him hell that night, yelling curses and even tossing a table and smashing a lamp before storming out of the house altogether.

Dave had locked himself in his room numb and afraid and didn't bother coming out until the next morning, where he had found Bro sitting at the kitchen table. When Dave had tiptoed into the kitchen Bro had lifted his head and broken into such a carefree smile Dave almost ripped his hair out in confusion, it was the same blissful smile Bro had shown today.

Bro caught on to the question beneath the observation, a hinted plea for an explanation which was long overdue. Bro was too tired to fight it, he had already let his guard down enough for one night, so he swore this would be the last slip up. Bro would allow himself one last mistake before he locked himself down for good.

"It was a fucking worthless day to begin with," Bro grumbled remembering the exact instant Dave was referring to - it had been the first and last time the kid had ever seen him display any amount of real emotion. But it couldn't have been helped. "That fucking dick Johnson fired me because I messed up one invoice or something," Bro said his face twisting into an ugly scowl, "And then when I told Jane I had lost my job that bitch just got up and left me."

Dave listened intently to the point he was holding his breath in anticipation, he hung on to every word.

"But that wasn't even the worst of it, it wasn't until I got home to our piece of shit apartment that it hit me," Bro said pursing his lips into a tight line. "It hit me that I could lose you too."

The story made sense, Child Protective Services were always looking for any excuse to split the Striders up, they just couldn't wrap their naive minds around the concept of a single twenty something year old being the legal guardian for an orphan. Dave couldn't count the number of times the bastards had barged into their home and deemed the living enviroment unfit for a child, or they had called all hours of the day to lecture both Bro and Dave on their situation.

"I could lose my mediocre job or girlfriend a hundred times over, as long as I still had you." Bro seemed to regret the words coming out of his mouth the second he had spoken them and tried to cover it up, "What kind of uncool failure would I be if I couldn't support my own little bro?"

Dave snorted clearly bemused by this statement and with that sound ended any pretense of a serious conversation. He couldn't control the smirk that tugged at the corner of his lips at what Bro was trying to say put couldn't put into words. Bro had been smiling the morning after because he had seen that Dave was still there, and that Dave would always be there when Bro decided to show up for as long as Bro would have him. It sent tremors of fright through Dave just thinking about what that meant for him tonight, Bro had smiled that same dopey smile because in the moment Dave had let go - Bro knew that Dave could never ever leave him - not even if he tried.

"Fuck off," Bro grumbled grabbing the nearest pillow and throwing it over Dave's smirking face, smothering and burying the moment where it couldn't touch the brothers any more, somewhere they were safe together.


End file.
